Apparatus for generating oil spray for working on metals with cutting tools



Mar h 7, 9 G.'DE COYE DE CASTELET 3,307,481

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OIL SPRAY FOR WORKING ON METALS WITH CUTTINGTOOLS Filed April 1, 1965 IMAM Gdian De Coye De casele' United StatesPatent 3,307,481 APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OIL SPRAY FOR WORKING ONMETALS WITH CUTTING TOOLS Gaetan de Coye de Castelet, Billancourt,France, assignor to Regie Nationale des Usines Renault, Billancourt,

France, a French works Filed Apr. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 444,701 Claimspriority, application France, Apr. 3, 1964, 969,676, Patent 1,398,933Claims. (Cl. 103-6) This invention relates to apparatus for generatingatomized cutting-oil for working on metals.

The oil atomizing apparatus according to the present invention permitsblowing intermittently and alternately, onto the places where thecutting tools attack the metal, first a mixture of air and oil and thenair alone. It comprises a compressed-air supply conduit adapted to beconnected to an intermittent compressed-air source and communicatingwith a conduit for discharging oil and air through a passageway ofreduced section. A pneumatically-controlled valve is provided with apneumatic control chamber which communicates with said supply conduitand which is obturated by a fluidtight partition integral with anobturator and adapted to move within the pneumatic control chamber. Saidobturator is permanently biased into the open position by elastic meansand cooperates with a seat situated within an oil-passing chamber. Anoil inlet conduit has a port t-hereinto and is adapted to be connectedto an oil tank. The passageway through said seat communicates with the'working chamber of a pneumatically-controlled reciprocating pump insidewhich a movable fiuidtight partition separates said working chamber froma pneumatical control chamber communicating with the compressed-airsupply conduit. A spring continuously urges said movable partitiontowards the control chamber. Through the medium of a delivery valve, theworking chamber communicates with a jet having a port in the air and oildischarge conduit and whose outlet is positioned in the path of the airstream issuing from the passageway of reduced'section.

Other features of the invention will become clearly apparent from thedescription which follows of one possible form of embodiment of theapparatus, given with reference to the accompanying non-limitativeexemplary drawing, in which:

. FIGURE 1 is a schematic sectional view of an apparatus according tothe invention;

FIGURES 2 and 3 illustrate the two units which comprise the body of anapparatus according to the invention;

FIGURE 4 shows an apparatus according to the invention, the constituentunits of which are shown in section through the lines IVIV of FIGURES 2and 3, and

FIGURE 5 shows the apparatus of FIGURE 4, but with its constituent unitsseen in section through the lines VV of FIGURES 2 and 3.

As the schematic sectional view of FIGURE 1 clearly shows, the body ofan apparatus according to the invention, one possible embodiment ofwhich is shown by way of example in the figure, consists of a first unit1 and a second unit 2. The various conduits, cavities and chambers aremachined out of or cast into these two solid plastic or metal units.

The apparatus includes a compressed-air supply conduit 3 connectedthrough a calibrated constriction or passageway of reduced section 4 toan oil and air discharge conduit 5. It further includes apneumaticallycontrolled valve 6 adapted to be connected through an oilinlet conduit 7 to an oil tank (not shown), which valve is positionedupflow of a reciprocating pump 8 and communicates therewith through aconduit 9. Positioned downilow of said pump is a delivery valve 10connected 3,307,481 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 thereto through a conduit 11and communicating with a jet 12 having a port in the discharge conduit 5through a conduit 13. The outlet of the jet 12 is so positioned in theextension of the passageway of reduced section 4 that said jet acts as aspray nozzle.

The pneumatically controlled valve 6 is a diaphragmtype valve comprisinga pneumatic-control chamber 14 separated from an oil-passing chamber 15by said diaphragm. The control chamber 14 communicates with the supplyconduit 3 through a conduit 16. The oil inlet conduit 7 communicateswith the oil-passing chamber 15. The conduit 9 has a port in the lattervia a seat 17 which is freed by the diaphragm when the latter is in theinoperative position but which can be obturated by the same when thecompressed air entering the control chamber 14 exerts pressure on thediaphragm.

The reciprocating pump 8 is a diaphragm-type pump comprising apneumatic-control chamber 18 and a working chamber separated therefromby the diaphragm. The control chamber 18 communicates with the supplyconduit 3 through a conduit 20. The working chamber 19 communicates, onthe one hand, with the passage through the seat 17 of valve 6 via theconduit 9 and, on the other hand, with the delivery valve 10 via theconduit 11. A compression spring 21 is mounted under compression in theworking chamber 19 and exerts pressure against the diaphragm through themedium of a pusher 22 to continuously urge the diaphragm towards thecontrol chamber 18.

The pump delivery valve 10 is a diaphragm-type valve comprising anoil-passing chamber 23 and a cavity 24 separated therefrom by thediaphragm. The conduit 11 communicates with the oil-passing chamber 23.The conduit 13 has a port into the latter through a seat 25 againstwhich the diaphragm is applied when in its inoperative position.

Lastly, the diaphragms of the valve 6, the pump 8 and the valve 10 areconstituted by a single common diaphragm 26 made of an elastomer such asnatural or synthetic rubber, gripped between the two units 1 and 2, thelatter being secured together by means of screws.

The apparatus according to the invention hereinbefore described may beconnected via its discharge conduit 5 either to a pipe (not shown) fordirecting the stream of oil and air onto the contact point between atool and the material being cut thereby, or to a distributor forsupplying a plurality of tubes in cases where a cutting spray must besupplied to a multiplicity of machining stations at the same time. Thesupply conduit 3 must be connected to means for supplying compressed airin successive pulses, each of a certain duration. This can beaccomplished, for instance, by connecting the supply conduit 3 toa'compressed-air source through the medium of a valve 27 or apneumatically 0r electromagnetically-op erated valve whose opening iscontrolled by a cam 28 the movement of which is referenced to the rateof advance of the tool or tools.

The apparatus described hereinabove functions in the following manner:

With the apparatus mounted as disclosed precedingly and its diaphragm 26in the position shown in FIGURE 1, opening of the valve 27 will cause aconsiderable pressure to prevail in the supply conduit 3 due to theconstriction formed by the passageway of reduced section 4. As thecompressed air thus exerts its pressure in the pneumatic controlchambers'14 and 18 on the diaphragm 26, the latter is applied againstthe seat 17 of valve 6 and moves downwardly in the pump 8, therebydriving the air contained in the working chamber 19 into the conduit 11and into the oil-passing chamber 23 of the delivery valve 10. The airthen escapes through the con- 3 duits 13 and 5 by lifting the diaphragmfrom the seat 25 in the chamber 23.

As soon as the valve 27 has been closed, either manually or by the cam28, the air under pressure contained in the supply conduit 3 escapesthrough the passageway 4 and the conduit 5. Since the pressure thendrops in the control chambers 14 of valve 6 and 18 of pump 8,respectively, the result is, on the one hand, that the diaphragmuncovers the opening through the seat 17 and thereby frees the passagefrom conduit 7 to conduit 9 and, on the other hand, that the diaphragmis raised inside the pump by the spring 21 and creates a reducedpressure in the working chamber 19, in the conduit 11 and in theoil-passing chamber 23 of valve 10. Since this reduced pressure and theelasticity of the diaphragm in the valve cause the latter to close, oilin the tank (not shown) is sucked through the conduits 7 and 9 into thepump working-chamber 19.

On the subsequent opening of valve 27, the pneumatically-controlledvalve 6 is closed and the pump diaphragm, respectively to the airpressure prevailing in control chamber 18, drives the oil contained inworking chamber 19- into the conduit 13 via the valve 10, the diaphragmof which is lifted from the seat 25 responsively to the oil pressure.The oil escaping from the jet 12 is immediately atomized by the airstream issuing from the passage 4, and the mixture of air and oil isblown onto the tool or tools. When all the oil contained in the workingchamber 19 has been atomized, compressed air continues to be blown outfor a time dependent upon the length and displacement imparted to thecam 28 to permit discharging the swarf produced by the machining.

As soon as the intake of compressed air ceases, the diaphragm 26 ismoved in the opposite direction by the spring 21 in pump 8.

This results in simultaneous closure of delivery valve 10 and opening ofvalve 6. The reduced pressure thus produced in the working chamber 19 ofpump 8 again causes a determinate quantity of oil to be sucked inthrough the conduit 7 and 9 and to be expelled at the subsequent cycle.

The apparatus according to the invention affords numerous advantages incomparison with the prior art devices:

Firstly, operation is effected in two stages, including the blowing of amixture of air and finely atomized oil. The absolute quantity of oil asWell as the quantity of oil relative to the quantity of carrier air canbe rigorously proportioned by suitably choosing the volume of the pumpworking chamber 19 and the cross-section of the passageway 4.

Secondly, the valve 6, the pump 8 and the delivery valve 10 arepneumatically or hydraulically controlled, as a result of which nomechanisms are involved, thus eliminating wear and ensuring greatreliability.

Lastly, the apparatus is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

The latter-mentioned advantage is most clearly apparent in FIGURES 2through 5.

The body of the apparatus consists of two solid rectangular plastic ormetal mouldings, each of which has a fiat surface. The first unit (seeFIGURE 2) has moulded into its fiat face the pneumatic control chambers14 and 18 of the valve 6 and the pump 8, the cavity 24 of the deliveryvalve 10, the conduit 20 through which the chamber 18 of pump 8communicates with the supply conduit 3, the conduit 16 through which thecontrol chamber 14 of valve 6 communicates with conduit 3, and theconduits 30, 31 and 32 and the manifold cavity 33 of a distributor orslide-valve incorporated in the unit and providing the possibility ofconnecting the apparatus to a plurality of blowing stations.

Into the flat surface of the second unit (FIGURE 3) are moulded theoil-passing chambers and 23 of valve 4 6 and delivery valve 10, and theworking chamber 19 of pump 8.

The conduits 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 34 and 35 are likewise moulded into theunits.

. The units are assembled together by means of screws (not shown) whichpass through holes 36 drilled in the second unit and which screw intocorresponding threaded holes 37 formed in the first unit.

The diaphragm 26 has formed therein holes for passage of said screws asWell as a hole for providing comrnunication between the conduit 13formed in the second unit (FIGURE 3) and the jet 12 inserted into thefirst unit (FIGURES 2 and 5).

Finally, the manner of assembling an apparatus executed with the use ofthe units shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 is clearly illustrated in thesectional views of FIGURES 4 and 5.

What is claimed is:

1. An oil atomizing apparatus for spraying atomized oil and blowingcompressed air onto cutting tools, comprising,

on the one hand, a compressed air supply conduit, which is adapted to beconnected to an intermittent compressed air source and whichcommunicates with an oil and air discharge conduit through a passagewayof reduced section, and, on the other hand, a pneumatically-controlledvalve with a pneumatic control chamber communicating with said supplyconduit and obturated by a fluidtight partition which is adapted to bemovable within said pneumatic ccn= trol chamber and which is integralwith an obturator permanently biased into the open position by elasticmeans and cooperating with a seat located in an oil-passing chamberwhich has a port, an oil inlet conduit adapted to be connected to an oiltank, the passage through said seat communicating with the workingchamber of a pneumatically-controlled reciprocating pump within which afluidtight mov able partition separates said working chamber from apneumatic control chamber communicating with said supply conduit, springmeans continuously urging said movable partition towards said controlchamber, and said working chamber communicating through delivery valvewith a jet which has a port in said air and oil discharge conduit andthe outlet of which is positioned in the path of the air stream issuingfrom said passageway of reduced section.

2. turating fluidtight partition and said elastic means coacting withsaid pneumatically-controlled valve consist of a single elasticdiaphragm made of an elastomer.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reciprocating pump isadiaphragm-type pump, in which said movable fluidtight partition formsthe elastic diaphragm of the pump.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said delivery valve comprisesan oil-passing chamber which communicates with said pump working chamberand which is obturated by an elastic diaphragm which, in its inoperativeposition, is applied against a seat positioned in said oil-passingchamber, the passage through said seat communicating with said jet.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fluidtight obturatorpartition and the elastic means of the pneumatically-controlled valveare constituted by a single elastic diaphragm made of an elastomer, saidreciprocating pump is a diaphragm pump, said fluidtight movable partionis the elastic pump diaphragm, and wherein said delivery valve comprisesan oil-passing chamber which communicates with the pump working-chamberand which is obturated by an elastic diaphragm which, in its inoperativeposition, is applied against a seat located in said oil-passing chamber,the passage through said seat communicating with said jet, the body ofthe apparatus being constituted, on the one hand, of a first unit inApparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ob- 5 which are formed saidcompressed-air supply and oil and air discharge conduits and whichembodies a flat surface in which are formed the pneumatic controlchambers of said pneumatically-controlled valve and of said diaphragmpump in addition to a further cavity and, on the other hand, of a secondunit embodying a flat surface in which are formed the oil-passingchambers of said pneumatically-controlled valve and said delivery valveas well as the working chamber of said diaphragm pump, the diaphragms ofsaid pneumatically-controlled valve, said diaphragm pump of saiddelivery valve being constituted by a single common diaphragm made of anelastomer and gripped between the fiat surfaces of said two units, andsaid cavity extending the oil-passing chamber of said delivery valve onthe opposite side of said diaphragm.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,542,941 3/1951Sargent 1036 2,843,040 7/1958 Harper 103 227 2,954,737 10/1960 Hoover103 138 3,007,416 11/1962 Childs 103-44 DONLEY I. STOCKING, PrimaryExaminer.

W. L. FREEH, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN OIL ATOMIZING APPARATUS FOR SPRAYING ATOMIZED OIL AND BLOWINGCOMPRESSED AIR ONTO CUTTING TOOLS, COMPRISING, ON THE ONE HAND, ACOMPRESSED AIR SUPPLY CONDUIT, WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO ANINTERMITTENT COMPRESSED AIR SOURCE AND WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH AN OILAND AIR DISCHARGE CONDUIT THROUGH A PASSAGEWAY OF REDUCED SECTION, AND,ON THE OTHER HAND, A PNEUMATICALLY-CONTROLLED VALVE WITH A PNEUMATICCONTROL CHAMBER COMMUNICATING WITH SAID SUPPLY CONDUIT AND OBTURATED BYA FLUIDTIGHT PARTITION WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE MOVABLE WITHIN SAIDPNEUMATIC CONTROL CHAMBER AND WHICH IS INTEGRAL WITH AN OBTURATORPERMANENTLY BIASED INTO THE OPEN POSITION BY ELASTIC MEANS ANDCOOPERATING WITH A SEAT LOCATED IN AN OIL-PASSING CHAMBER WHICH HAS APORT, AN OIL INLET